see also

“One bike does the job of three cops,’’ one source said, with another adding, “If you see a guy on a bike, it’s a lot less hostile to a crowd than a guy with a helmet and a nightstick.’’

The officers were on high-performance Fuji Mountain Bikes, which can jump curbs and roll down stairs if needed to get ahead of a crowd, sources said. The bikes are also fitted with flashing lights to help clear traffic.

“With social media, crowds could pop up anywhere,’’ a source said.

“Demonstrators can be on 56th [Street] and Fifth [Avenue], and through social media, say, ‘OK, let’s go to Grand Central Terminal.’ This way, [cops] can move as quickly as they move.’’

A handful of the SRG’s bicycle cops previously worked Manhattan for New Year’s Eve, but that was just a walk-up to a much larger rollout for Saturday’s protest, sources said.

The program was modeled after one in the Seattle Police Department and championed by NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill, himself an avid bicyclist.